blown
out of the stream, and got in behind some of the islands, and are
perhaps at the mouth of one of the loops where there ain't no stream to
speak of; useful enough they are when you are making your way up-stream,
but no-account places to get stuck in. Now you darkeys below there, wake
up, and let's have some food; you will soon have the sun up to warm you
and dry your clothes a bit. By the time we have had our breakfast," he
went on to Frank, "the mist will have lifted, and we shall have some
chance of seeing where we have been cast away, and can talk over what's
the best thing to be done in this here business."

The iron plate was replaced on the cabin, the fire was lit, and coffee
and fried bacon were soon ready. The first sparkle of the sun through
the leaves brought a shout of delight from the negroes, and directly the
meal was over they cut away some of the small branches and let the sun
stream in on to the roof of the cabin.

"That's enough, boys," Hiram said; "by midday we shall be glad of the
shade. Now, let you and I light our pipes, lad, and take a survey, and
then talk this job over."

On looking round, they found that the passage, or creek, in which they
were was some eighty yards wide; ahead it seemed to narrow; behind them,
a bend shut out the view a quarter of a mile away.

"That's just what I expected. You see we have drove in here, and there's
been just current enough to drift us on till the lower branches touched
the bottom or caught in a snag; the water ain't flowing half a mile an
hour now, and I reckon when the water begins to drop, which will be in a
few days, if it holds fine, there won't be no current to speak of."

"But we are not going to stay here a few days, are we, Hiram?"

"Well, lad, I ain't no particular wish to stay here no time at all, if
you will just pint out the way for us to be moving on."

"Well, we could all swim ashore," Frank said; "the distance is nothing,
and all the blacks swim."

"And how fur do you reckon the shore to be, lad?"

"About forty yards," Frank said.

"I reckon it to be miles, lad--twenty, perhaps, or forty for aught I
know."

Frank looked at his companion in surprise.

"Yes, that is about it, lad. Don't you see them trees are all growing
out by the water, and what looks to you like low bush is just the top of
the underwood. The river, I reckon, must have riz twenty feet, and all
this low land is under water. As I told you, we are near the mouth